Nursery Rhyme. CCCCXXXVIII. Jingles.
by Anonymous[Our collection of nursery songs may appropriately be concluded with the Quaker's commentary on one of the greatest favourites - Hey! diddle, diddle. We have endeavoured, as far as practicable, to remove every line from the present edition that could offend the most fastidious ear; but the following annotations on a song we cannot be induced to omit, would appear to suggest that our endeavours are scarcely likely to be attended with success.]
"Hey! diddle, diddle,
The cat and the fiddle" -
Yes, thee may say that, for that is nonsense.
"The cow jumped over the moon" -
Oh no! Mary, thee musn't say that, for that is a falsehood; thee knows a cow could never jump over the moon; but a cow may jump under it; so thee ought to say - "The cow jumped under the moon." Yes, -
"The cow jumped under the moon;
The little dog laughed" -
Oh Mary, stop. How can a little dog laugh? thee knows a little dog can't laugh. Thee ought to say - "The little dog barked - to see the sport,"
"And the dish ran after the spoon" -
Stop, Mary, stop. A dish could never run after a spoon; thee ought to know that. Thee had better say - "And the cat ran after the spoon." So, -
"Hey! diddle, diddle,
The cat and the fiddle,
The cow jump'd under the moon;
The little dog bark'd,
To see the sport,
And the cat ran after the spoon!"